The Obsolete Man

Description: Season 2, Episode 29

Air Date: June 2, 1961

Plot Summary: In the future, a mild mannered librarian has been deemed useless to society and must be executed.

Review: Finally bringing an end to the second season, we go out in style with a mid-level classic. Coming off the fears of the era, this episode presents a powerful message in a vein similar to the likes of "1984." Enhancing the story was the moving performance by Burgess Meredith, and assisted by the effectively sinister Fritz Weaver. Essentially, in an unnamed future, a totalitarian regime, simply referred to as the state, has ushered in a nightmarish society. We can assume the regime has spent many years executing countless individuals considered undesirable and useless; this is explicitly stated but for how long it has been happening is unsure. To give you an idea of the kind of regime this is, Mr. Weaver's character, the chancellor, explains that Hitler and Stalin's mistake was not taking their ideas to the extreme! As it would turn out, a lowly librarian, not so subtly named Wordsworth, is the next individual that has been determined to be obsolete; the penalty for this crime is execution or liquidation as they say.

Wordsworth ardently stands behind his principles, and that he has a purpose, while questioning the inhumanity and indoctrination of the regime. After much banter during a trial, Wordsworth is given the choice of his own means of death. Cleverly, Wordsworth arranges for his execution to be televised and for his executioner to be secret. Shortly thereafter, Wordsworth invites the chancellor to oversee the execution to which the chancellor takes great satisfaction in this situation. However, this sadistic joy is short-lived as Wordsworth reveals he has trapped the chancellor with him as a bomb will go off that will kill them both. More so, Wordsworth is certain the regime will not intervene as it will show weakness, and if the chancellor cowers in the face of death the regime will also appear weak. As you might guess, Wordsworth comes to terms with his fate as the chancellor panics and is freed at the last second by Wordsworth; Wordsworth is, of course, killed in the explosion but died with dignity. When the chancellor attempts to return to his duty, he is met with his own trial as his weakness has made him obsolete. With a fitting fate befalling the chancellor, Mr. Serling closes us out addressing that any regime that would stand against human freedom is the thing that is truly obsolete.

This is a fantastic episode that can still stand the test of time in many ways. Although post-WWII and Cold War visions of the future have long since passed, it doesn't lessen the impact of those beliefs. Unfortunately, or fortunately for them, few could have imagined the kind of future we have slipped into instead. This episode echoes "1984's" idea that the future is "a boot stamping on a human face--forever," but the corrupt of today have a more manipulative and covert means of control. Why hold a gun to the head of a slave when you can convince the slave they are free? The people of the past were right to worry--the people of today are too blind, brainwashed, and self-involved to see their own shackles. I fear that far too few individuals would have the conviction, principles, and courage of the Wordsworth character. I guess we will simply have to wait and see where this shadowy road takes us.